I’m back from Burning Man and I learned some new terms, e.g., the following:

darktard/darkwad: person who walks around at night without wearing LEDs

Sunday watermelon: a gift that is more about the giver wanting to get rid of something heavy/bulky (the Man burns on Saturday evening so a “Sunday watermelon” would typically have been purchased at least one week earlier)

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16 Comments

Izzie L.

There has been some controversy recently as to the distinct lack of black people at Burning Man. One explanation put forward is that black people don’t like camping. This does not strike me as fully explanatory. I think a better explanation is that Burning Man appeals to the same demographic as a Grateful Dead concert, which also does not conform strictly to the overall demographic profile of the US population. Does anyone have any thoughts as to why sisters and brothers find Burning Man lacking in appeal despite the sexual opportunities?

Larry Harvey, the founder of Burning Man, was asked the same question at a press conference last week. He responded “We are not a Utopian society. I will believe in Utopia when I meet my first perfect person. Unlike our liberal critics, half of my family is black. We’re not going to set racial quotas or judge people by wealth. I’m unwilling to impose change from outside. We have to generate change from the inside.”

Izzie L.

That’s sort of begging the question. Can’t get to Black Rock from Oakland?

Why does the SV workforce itself not “look like America”? Why are rustbelt industries presumed guilty if their workforce does not stricty reflect broader demographics but Apple and Google (and Hollywood) get a pass? Not that I want them to be harassed too, but somehow it’s OK to look the other way in some cases but not in others.

paul kramarchyk

If I committed some heinous crime, attending Burning Man would be a fitting punishment. Nothing I’ve ever seen or read about BM is interesting to me or worth the price (indulging crowds of people who think they’re hip or cool and want you to know). Google “burning man 2015” and click images on the results page. I rest my case.

If blacks avoid BM, I attribute it to good taste.

paddy

Why would there be any controversy about a private function that doesn’t have too many black people in it? There are plenty of private functions that blacks willingly attend, that hardly have any white people in it – are they supposed to be worried about this, and try to entice more white people to such functions?

How come we complain about percentages of black CEOS but don’t complain about NBA (over 76% black) or NFL (68% black) over-representation of blacks; the top 350 NBA players get over $1 million in salary alone, not including non-cash bonuses and any endorsement or ad deals.

Steve E.

ianf

Much as I hate being a kill-joy, and—PROVIDED I COULD FIND A MEDIA SPONSOR TO FOOT THE BILL OF MY GETTING THERE (hint, hint)—as I’d love to experience Burning Man first… limb(?), I must admit that I always felt it being a West Coast hipsters’ version of the Bohemian Grove “holiday camp” for the Beltway crowd, as described with some precision in SPY Magazine‘s November 1989 issue. An annual event also ending with spectacular burning of a humanoid effigy, in the latter called “CARE.” (SPY cover + the entire article is present & downloadable as PDF @ GoogleBooks.

That said, I keep waiting for a sabotage (way premature) arson of the BM sculpture, as has become kind of “sports custom” for the near-yearly vandal dismemberment & burning of the Swedish town of Gävle’s hay straw Yule Goat (=a local Christmas shopping commercial “tradition”).

Lastly, observe the beyond-conservative attire of Philip’s, more suitable for Bohemian Grove, than BM. I’m afraid one measly & not even pierced! nipple won’t do it… you need to step up the game, parade @ BM and in these pages with at least one XXX Red Hot Chili Pepper freely dangling with a suggestive swagger.

Toucan Sam

Phil, did you fly into burning man? I was up in Lake Tahoe and was surprised at seeing all the transient traffic pull up to south lake tahoe airport covered in dust. It seems many of these planes will have playa dust on them for decades to come!

Alan Cima

Ianf – Bohemian Grove also a bit north of San Francisco, not really a beltway thing, definitely also a California thing. Richer and less public and sadly no women, but same idea – feel special by camping with fires.

Izzie L.

I totally agree that there is no reason why every event (company, university, sport, etc.) has to reflect overall demographics but my question was, WHAT about Burning Man makes it unappealing to blacks ? Why is Burning Man less appealing to blacks than say Mardi Gras? It seems to me that certain aspects of Burning Man do align with things that blacks find to be fun, but these must be outweighed by other aspects that they consider to be not at all appealing.

The very fact that the event is predominantly white may make blacks feel uncomfortable. Some blacks that I know are (not without reason) paranoid that attention is focused on them (in a negative way) whenever they are in a predominantly white setting.